


Loud

by HexaMoritz



Category: Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Autistic Davey, Jack is a great boyfriend, M/M, Nonverbal Character, Panic Attack, Sensory Overload, kind of, mentions of stimming, no really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-21
Updated: 2015-12-21
Packaged: 2018-04-16 11:21:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 7,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4623426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HexaMoritz/pseuds/HexaMoritz
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Davey gets overwhelmed and has a meltdown. Jack knows exactly what to do.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Jeez, Davey, ya look like you’ve just come straight from Brooklyn! Ya run a marathon or somethin’?” Specs jokes, not really looking at the other boy while he holds the front page high for commuters to see.

Davey shakes his head frantically, eyes wide. He’s going to pass out, he can feel it gnawing at him, pulling at the edges of his vision. There’s too much information, too much noise and it’s crowding his senses, smothering him from every direction. 

“Dave?” It takes Specs a few moments to realise what’s going on. “Oh, Jesus- are you…?” he trails off, placing a hand on the Davey’s hunched shoulders and ignoring the other boy’s flinch. 

Specs has heard stories of David’s episodes, heard whispers of his tantrums in the distribution line, but he’s never had to see it himself. It’s unimaginably worse than the boys had made it out to be, the way David’s entire being is shaking violently. His eyes dart restlessly around the scene, seldom settling on anything for long before nervously fixing on something else. There’s a thin sheen of sweat plastered across his forehead, and Specs can feel his heart pounding rapidly even from the position of his hand on his shoulder.

“Aight, Davey. Hey. Listen to me. We’s gonna get you somewhere quiet, okay?” Specs says sympathetically, moving his hand to grip David’s shirt sleeve. He waits for David’s nod before beginning to weave them both through the busy lunch crowds. He knows he has to find Jack, and quickly, if Davey’s sickly complexion is anything to go by. Jack’s usual selling spot is blessedly close, and it only takes the pair a few minutes to find him.

Jack is flirting cheekily with a young woman, who’s staring back at him with the type of adoration in her eyes that only Jack seems to elicit from girls. Specs scoffs at that. Imagine her face if she realised the shaking boy Specs is dragging behind him is the only one Jack has eyes for.

Specs doesn’t wait for the two to end their conversation. Instead, he moves Davey into a quiet alley with strict instructions to stay put while he fetches Jack.

Specs strides quickly through the thinning crowd, apologising as he pushes past an old couple. He approaches Jack from behind the girl’s back, but Jack doesn’t seem to notice, too wrapped up in whatever anecdote from the strike he’s using to persuade her to pay extra for a pape. 

“Terribly sorry to interrupt, Jackie boy, but we seem to have a little… situation on our hands, and you’re needed.”

The girl looks crestfallen, but Specs shakes his head minutely to let Jack know that yes, it’s urgent and no, you can’t finish your story.  
“Sorry Miss, looks like a strike leader’s work never ends!” he quips. The girl blushes (why, Specs has no idea) and nods, handing Jack his 10 cents with a giggle. In a swish of skirt, she’s gone.

“Aight Specs, this better be important. Spot Conlon started a turf war or what?” Jack jokes, leaning casually against the lamppost behind him. Specs shakes his head, face suddenly serious in the absence of the girl.

“It’s Dave. There’s something wrong. He came to me whilst we was sellin’. Come on,” he explains quickly, turning in the direction of the alley he’s left Davey in.

Jack’s face suddenly falls, something grim setting in his features. He follows Specs without further comment, jogging behind the other boy through the street. 

Specs pauses at an alley, stepping aside and letting Jack go first. 

Davey is stood defensively at the end of the alley, shoulders tight and hands shaking. His entire posture is stiff and practically screams stay away. Jack swears under his breath, quiet enough that only Specs hears, before taking a few large steps down the alley. As if on second thought, he turns to Specs and mouths wait outside, flicking his hand towards the opening of the alleyway. Then he turns back to Davey, who seems to be watching Jack disconnectedly. 

“Hey, Davey,” Jack says carefully, stopping about a metre in front of Davey to give him space. He can hear Davey’s rapid but quiet puffs of air in the small space. 

Davey makes a sort of strangled sound in the back of his throat, hands balling into fists and raising to his chest. He whines quietly under his breath, the sound becoming increasingly frantic.

Jack steps forward, wrapping his arms firmly around his trembling boyfriend, ensuring a firm, even pressure. Something inside Davey releases, and suddenly Jack feels heaving sobs against his shoulder. He clings to Jack’s vest tightly. 

“Alright, Davey. Alright. I got ya. We’s here, yeah? We’s safe. Hold on tight, I’m not going on anywhere.” Jack says confidently, rocking them gently from side to side. He’s suddenly glad that Specs is keeping watch at the end of the alley. Davey values his privacy and Jack gets easily embarrassed.

They stay like this for a few minutes, but Davey’s tears don’t seem to be dying down. Jack decides he has to try something else. 

“I have an idea. We’s gonna sit down, yeah? That okay?” he asks, waiting for a response. He’d learnt long ago that it was unwise to try to move a distressed Davey without telling him beforehand. He also knows that David takes a while to process things when he’s upset. 

David nods a few seconds later, and Jack manoeuvres himself and David so they’re sat with their backs to the wall. Jack’s got his legs stretched out in front of himself, while Davey’s legs are curled tightly against his chest. He sits at an angle, leaning his back more against Jack than the wall. Jack instinctively wraps his arms firmly around David’s midsection, keeping the pressure unwavering. 

David already seems calmer at the change of position. Jack decides it’s time to put their pre-agreed plan into action. 

“Okay, Dave. We’s gonna do the routine now, just like we practiced. So listen carefully, okay? Now, tell me, what upset you?” Jack explains, starting the first step.

Davey brings his fists up to his head, tapping both simultaneously to his ears. _Loud._

“Okay, it was too loud. How did that make you feel?”

Two shaking arms crossed over his chest, eyes squeezed shut. _Scared._

“Okay, you were scared. Did you feel anything else?”

A small shake of the head.

“Okay, well done, Davey. Good job. You’s doin’ fine. We’s gonna rest, now, let you calm down. Do you want me to cover your ears?”

A single nod.

“Okay. You don’t worry about nothin’, Dave, I’ve got us both. We’s fine, just try to relax for me.”

Jack shifts the pair so that David’s head is resting more comfortably on Jack’s shoulder. He shuffles a little so that his palms can comfortably rest over the other boy’s ears. Jack notices, with a measure of relief, that Davey’s stiff posture relaxes somewhat after a few moments.

They sit there silently, Jack’s even breathing a start contrast to David’s shaky pants, until Specs appears at the mouth of the alley. He looks at the two awkwardly, flushing a light pink. 

“Uh, Jack? Anything I can do?” he asks, gesturing vaguely toward the street. It’s quietened down a lot since the lunch rush. 

“If ya wouldn’t mind, it’d be great if you could go to Davey’s tenement and grab his night clothes.” Jack requests, mindful of keeping his voice low. “And let his folks know that he’s resting at the lodging house for a bit, til he’s ready to leave.”

Specs nods, turning and darting out of the alleyway. Jack sighs. He hates when Davey gets like this, and he knows Davey does too, but it can’t be helped. They’d accepted that fact a long time ago, but that doesn’t make it any better when it does strike.

All he can do now is sit tight and wait.


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Davey had a meltdown, he slept for a solid nine hours afterwards. This had worried Jack more than he’ll ever admit, because it was a known fact amongst the newsies that David Jacobs could, and regularly would, survive on two hours of sleep and a mug of coffee if he needed to (“I still have homework, Jack, and no time do to it in the day. What else do you expect?”). Seeing Davey sleep for so long was disconcerting at the least.

Of course, Davey had reassured Jack a few days later, when he was back to selling, that it was perfectly common for him to sleep for a long time when he’s been upset. And that had been that.

Sitting on the alley floor, Davey still and finally calm in his arms, Jack thinks about all the times they’ve been through this. There have been times when Davey hasn’t come to sell but Les has, and Jack’s gone over to Davey’s tenement to find him curled up under his duvet, shaking like a leaf. There have been times when Davey’s been at the lodge after Kloppman’s turned a blind eye, and one minute he’s laughing and joking and the next he’s fled the room like a hunted man. And over time, Jack and a few of the other newsies have gotten used to it. Now, nobody questions when Davey and Jack both disappear from a crowded room, only for Jack to come back alone, or when David gets very quiet when everyone else gets loud. 

Jack’s debating when he should wake David and start the journey back to the lodge when Specs appears at the end of the alley again, peaking his head around the corner before taking a tentative step inside. Jack doesn’t notice him at first, deep in thought, but Specs clears his throat to announce himself.

“I’ve told his folks. Blink and Mush’ve taken his things to the lodge. Most of the boys know what’s happened, an’ they’ve all gone back to the lodge early- I tried to keep it quiet, but Skittery saw me ‘n’ Dave and worked out what happened pretty quick, and then Romeo heard Skits talkin’ to me about it, and you know what Rome’s like, so-“

Jack silences Specs with a hand. “S’alright. They was gonna work it out anyway if he’s comin’ to the lodge. And we’s gotta get him there soon; this ain’t gotta be good for his neck.”

Jack turns his attention back to David, who is definitely asleep. He removes his hands from Davey’s ears, waiting for a moment to see if he stirs. He doesn’t, and Jack isn’t sure if he’s glad about that or not, because now he’s faced with the task of rousing Davey, trying to get him at least semi-coherent, and trying to make him understand where they’re going to be heading.

He takes a deep breath, placing both hands firmly on Dave’s shoulders. He squeezes, leaning down to whisper in his right ear. 

“C’mon, Davey. S’time to wake up now.”

David’s eyes open blearily, but he closes them immediately against the sun which is somehow managing to penetrate the alley. He whines quietly, turning over to bury his face in Jack’s midsection.

“S’alright, Dave. Take your time. When you’s ready, we’s gonna go back to the lodging house for some sleep, yeah? Just take your time ‘n’ we’ll move when you’s ready to.”

It takes David a few moments before he pulls his face away from Jack’s midriff, sitting back and squinting a little as his eyes slowly adjust. He spots Specs at the mouth of the alley, and blinks owlishly at the other boy, showing no recognition. Still out of it, then.

“Good. Ready to go?” Jack asks. Davey looks at him, his gaze unfocused. After a few moments, he shakily starts to stand, and Jack follows suit, quickly reaching out a steadying hand when David pitches forward unsteadily. Poor guy’s exhausted.

“Easy, easy. I got ya. We go when you’s ready,” he murmurs, wrapping a firm grip around Davey’s wrist. He turns to Specs, who’s still standing awkwardly and awaiting instructions. 

“You run ahead and tell the guys that they’s gotta be quiet tonight. Let ‘em know they’s gonna get a soaking if any one of ‘em’s rowdy, an’ that if they don’t think they can do that then they should leave until Davey’s settled. Got it?”

Specs nods again, dutifully turning and sprinting away. Jack makes a mental note to thank him for all the help later on. But right now, he has to focus on Davey.

Jack takes an experimental step forward, relieved when Davey does the same. There have been times when Davey’s legs have lost all connection to his brain, and he’s found himself completely unable to move and talk. Those are always the worst. 

The pair navigate themselves steadily through the streets, Jack maintaining his solid grip. Davey had confided in him that firm, steady touches were the best to keep him grounded. Jack isn’t alarmed when Davey starts to emit a low hum mid walk, either. He does that, sometimes, and Jack couldn’t tell you why but he’ll be damned if he’s going to deprive Davey of something that makes him feel safe. 

The walk is long, and Jack curses at the fact that he sells so far away. His spot’s a good one, but he might consider changing it if it means him and Davey can be closer to safety together.

Jack sends prayers to the sky when the lodging house looms in the distance. David’s hums have gotten higher and louder, and Jack can tell it’s only a matter of time before he’s agitated again. 

Right now, all he wants is to get them both inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everybody who read/left kudos on the first chapter! I'm writing these at 3am every morning, so please feel free to point out any spelling/punctuation/grammar errors. These will probably be edited when I'm slightly less sleep deprived.


	3. Chapter 3

When Jack enters the loging house, the last thing he expects to find is several worried looking newsies gathered in the foyer. Skittery, Romeo, Blink, Mush, Elmer, Buttons and Finch are sat on the small, ratty sofa, chatting quietly between themselves. 

The room goes silent the moment the two walk in. Every pair of eyes turns towards them. Davey shies away from the sudden attention, hiding himself behind Jack and humming in distress. He brings his hands to his head, fingertips rubbing through his hair and against his scalp in a way that’s somewhat calming.

Jack’s momentarily stricken as well. He didn’t expect to be interrupted on his mission to get Davey home and settled. Why are they all in the entrance? Is Kloppmann not allowing them up to the dorms yet? Where the hell is he supposed to take Davey if the dorms are out of bounds?

That’s when Specs emerges from the little reception room to the side of the foyer. He spots Jack and Davey immediately and rushes over to them, taking Jack aside. 

“Thought you might want the dorm to yourself while you’s settling Dave in, so I’s asked these guys to stay down here while you’s getting him comfortable,” he explains under his voice, wary of the others hearing. “I’s squared it with Kloppmann for ‘im to stay as long as he needs as well, so all you gotta worry about is Dave. Oh, an’ his stuff’s upstairs. His ma gave us a blanket she thinks he’ll want- a dead heavy one.”

Jack’s never been more grateful in his entire life. Specs truly has thought of everything. Jack reminds himself to give Specs more credit than he has been in the future. He claps Specs on the back, nodding his thanks, before he steps back towards David who’s still stimming by the door. 

“Is he alright?” Romeo pipes up, chewing his bottom lip nervously. Jack sighs; he really, really doesn’t need questions right now. What he needs is quiet for David and a cup of something hot for himself. Luckily, Specs steps in for them once again.

“He’s gonna be fine, Rome, just give ‘em some time.”

Jack just nods at Romeo, then at Specs, before turning around and pressing a firm hand to David’s lower back. He guides the still-humming boy towards the stairs, allowing him to ascend them first and following with a cautious watch. David’s not the most coordinated person at the best of times, and Jack wouldn’t put it past him to topple straight down these stairs. 

When they reach the top of the stairwell, David halts in the dorm’s doorway, and Jack nearly crashes right into the back of him. He steps around David, noticing with some alarm that he’s started trembling and the hums have peaked in volume. 

It doesn’t take Jack long to work out what’s upsetting Davey. The whole dorm is a mess. There’s clothes strewn everywhere, personal possessions blocking the aisle, duvets and comforters hanging lopsidedly off each bunk. It genuinely looks like a bomb’s gone off. Jack curses.

Davey lets out a distressed cry, bringing fisted hands to his ears again. Loud? There’s no noise. 

He looks back at the room and thinks he understands.

Thinking fast, he steps his way through the mess, kicking stray shoes aside to clear a path from the door to his bunk (which is rather unfortunately position the furthest away from the door it can be). He grabs the bandana that’s been tied around his bedpost for years, pulling at the knot until it gives, then returns to Davey.

“Imma put this over your eyes, alright? It’ll stop the noise, I promise. That okay?”

David just does his action for noise again, then again, and Jack decides to throw caution to the wind. He reaches up and ties the soft material around Davey’s head, tying it loosely should the need arise for it to come off quickly.

David’s humming stops. 

Jack lets out a breath he didn’t realise he’d been holding. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he resumes his position at Davey’s side, hand on back.

“Okay Dave. I’s gonna touch your back and you’s just gotta follow me. I ain’t gonna let you trip. I’ll tell you when we’re at my bunk. Just follow me.”

Jack waits a moment, satisfied when Davey nods. He takes a cautious step forward, making sure the path he’s cleared is wide enough for both of them. David stumbles over Race’s pack of cards and freezes, but Jack gently pulls him onward and they make the trip with little fuss. 

“Aight, Davey we’s at my bed now. You did good,” Jack praises. “Do you want me to take your blindfold off now?”

David nods quickly, hands rubbing impulsively against his trousers. Jack reaches up again and pulls the bandanna off, keeping it ready just in case Davey starts to panic at the mess again. 

Once he’s satisfied that Dave isn’t going to freak out, he gestures for him to sit down on the bunk below his, which belongs to Crutchie. Then he steps on Crutchie’s bed, using the extra height to look at David’s belongings, which are folded neatly in the centre of Jack’s mattress. 

There’s a pair of blue, soft cotton pyjamas, ones that Jack’s seen Davey wear lots. Next to them is the blanket that Specs had mentioned. It’s dark blue and Jack finds it’s very thick and heavy when he reaches out to touch it. There’s also a 5 inch square of cream coloured silk stitched into one corner, the edge of which is showing significant wear from repeated touch.

Jack takes the pyjamas down first, deciding that the scratchy clothes David’s in right now probably aren’t helping him feel at all relaxed. He works quickly on David’s buttons, slipping the shirt off his shoulders before untucking the white undershirt from his trousers, pulling that over David’s head and discarding it at his side. It doesn’t take long before the rest of David’s dayclothes are off and replaced by the familiar nightclothes. David suddenly looks years younger, standing lost in the middle of the empty room. 

Jack decides it’s time to try some communication. He knows David’s probably going to be nonverbal for at least the next few hours, but that doesn’t mean he’s entirely unreachable.

“Dave? Ya with me?” he tries tentatively.

A few moments pass, and Jack’s beginning to think he’s not going to get a response. But then David nods. Jack allows a grin to break across his face.

“Good! How’re you feelin’?” he asks, making sure he speaks clearly.

David seems to consider this for a moment, before he gestures to the bed. 

“Use your actions, Dave. Remember what we’s practiced.”

Davey’s brows furrow for a second, before his eyes light up and he brings his right hand to his face, balling it into a fist and dragging the knuckles gently across his cheek.

_Tired._

“Well done, Dave. I’s proud of you, y’know?” Jack smiles. He is proud, so incredibly proud. This boy who, at one point, frequently found himself trapped with no way to communicate now has his own language, his own way of letting the world know he’s there, he matters. Jack’s heart practically bursts with pride every day. 

Jack gets to work making his bed acceptable for David to sleep in. He rambles on while he does so, used to talking for the both of them when there’s nothing but silence. “You can sleep in my bed now. Your ma sent you a blanket- a blue one? It’s up here, see. I reckon it’s heavy because you like the pressure, huh? An’ the silk’s nice, soft, so you can rub it if you want.”

David recognises when Jack’s finished making the bed for him, stepping forward and climbing the ladder. Jack’s somewhat relieved that Davey is now managing to recognise and carry out tasks by himself, even something as simple as getting into bed. It’s a sign of progress.

Jack supplies a steadying hand when David wobbles precariously on the ladder. The ladder itself is old and worn from the feet of countless newsboys stepping up and down. Jack thinks David should look out of place here, dressed in actual pyjamas and not just dayclothes-worn-at-night, but when David’s head hits the pillow and he arranges the blanket around himself, Jack thinks he’s never looked more at home.

“Dave?” Jack asks once David seems to be settled comfortably. He’s not quite sure how he wants to continue. “If you’s gotta… do something, like hum or rock or flap, now’s your time to do it. The boys is gonna be back eventually.”

David shakes his head. Jack had expected that, really, he just wanted to make sure Davey knows he’s allowed. Jack often catches the other boy with his hands shoved deep into his pockets and a scowl on his face. Once, he’d asked why he kept doing that. David had huffed under his breath, muttering something like _‘quiet hands’._ Jack realised then that David had been taught to repress the behaviour that made him feel safe, because it also made him _different._ Jack has a feeling that it wasn’t David’s parents who imposed this on him, as they’re so set on making sure their oldest son is comfortable. Which means it’s probably the boys at school, or worse, the teachers.

By the time Jack’s finished his daydream, David is wrapped tightly under the blanket. The square of silk is positioned under his left cheek. David’s thumb and forefinger absently stroke it. 

This, Jack decides, his how David deserves to look all the time. And he’s going to try his damn hardest to make sure he’s always happy, and always safe. He’ll swear to it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really wanted to play with the idea of Davey who uses sign language, but it didn't fit with me that both he and Jack would know how to sign. I figured I'd try out the whole personal actions thing, and I think I like the result, but if it's stinted or awkward to read in any way, do let me know! In fact, just let me know what you think of the whole actions thing anyway.  
> There's still at least one more chapter left. Maybe more. Who knows?  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

Jack watches Davey sleeping for a few moments, revelling in the calm atmosphere of the dorm. He can feel a headache starting behind his eyes. When Davey gets worked up, it’s easy for Jack to get worked up too, but he tends to show it in different ways.

He hears more voices coming from downstairs, ones he knows don’t belong to the guys from earlier, and he realises he has no idea how much time has passed since Specs came to find him. As silently as he can manage, he crouches down and roots around in the trunk he keeps under his and Crutchie’s bunk, feeling for the pocket watch he’d been given as a thank you from one of the newsies after the strike. His hand comes into contact with the cool metal, and he slips it out, wincing when the chain drags against the trunk with a scraping noise. 

He presses the knob on the top and the lid flips open, revealing the time. _2:14pm._

It makes sense that some boys will be arriving back soon- the best of the sellers, definitely. The headline that morning had been a good one. ' _DANGEROUS CRIMINAL ESCAPES HIGH-SECURITY LOCKDOWN_ '. Jack had already sold a good 60 of his by lunchtime, and he knows for a fact that most of his boys only buy 50 on weekdays, and he knows the evening edition has got a few hours before it’s released.

Jack also knows he’s going to have to face them and the inevitable questions that follow at some point. He pinches the bridge of his nose before toeing off his shoes and padding across the floor to the stairs. He looks back at Davey one more time before going down.

The first thing Jack realises is that more boys have arrived than he expected. Which also means Specs has been doing an even better job at keeping them quiet than he’d imagined possible. It’s strange to see his normally lively and loud newsboys sitting so quietly, chatting with hushed tones in small groups. 

Jack coughs to announce himself. Immediately, a few of the boys are on their feet, looking like they have questions that they’re not sure if they can ask. Jack nods his acknowledgement to Specs, who’s stood with Romeo in the far corner. 

“Alright,” Jack starts, taking care to keep his voice quiet. “I know you’s got questions, and I’s gonna do my best to answer them. But we’s gonna wait until everyone’s arrived, and when they do, we’s gonna be real quiet ‘cos Davey ain’t feelin’ great an’ noise is just gonna make it worse. Everybody got that?”

Everybody nods quickly, taking their seats again.

Jack doesn’t want to start talking until everybody has arrived because he doesn’t want to have to repeat himself, but after half an hour, it’s clear that a few aren’t planning on coming back before getting the evening edition. Jack rubs his eyes and sighs.

“Jack?” Specs asks, stepping forward. Jack’s finding it almost funny, now, how Specs is always ready with some advice for any given situation. “D’ya want me to go looking for the others? I know where Race sells, an’ Albert doesn’t sell too far from there either. An’ I’m pretty sure Henry an’ Smalls sell together, an’ I reckon either Blink or Mush knows where.”

Jack finds himself nodding before he’s even fully taken everything Specs has said in. 

“Yeah. Yeah, just let ‘em know that it’s important. Cheers, Specs.”

Specs smiles, placing his hand on Jack’s shoulder.

“You’re doing well, Jack. You should take a moment to rest.”

Before Jack can ask what he means, Specs is pulling Blink off the sofa and out of the door. Once the last four are back, he’ll let the questions begin. For now, though, he thinks he’ll take Specs’ suggestion to rest for a bit. He steps over Sniper and Dusty, who are sat with their backs to the wall and their legs sprawled in front of them, making his way to the sofa. 

“Any room?” he asks, though everyone knows what he really means is ‘somebody get up, I need a seat’. Skittery turns to JoJo, who seems to have taken Blink’s place. JoJo rolls his eyes, standing up and gesturing to the empty space.

“All yours, ya highness,” he says with a bow.

Jack smiles tiredly, falling onto the sofa. His headache is getting worse, and he needs to sleep it off. 

The others seem to notice his eyelids drooping, and the way his head is lolling slightly to one side. Mush laughs, shaking his head.

“Jackie boy, you ain’t gotta keep yourself awake. Have a nap before these guys start on ya. We’ll wake you when Specs an’ Blink are back.”

Jack doesn’t really have the energy to reply or protest that he’s fine, so he just nods and closes his eyes, leaning his head against the back of the sofa. And really, it’s easy to fall asleep while everyone’s so quiet. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Forty-five minutes later, Jack’s woken by a hand on his shoulder. 

He swats it away at first, trying to turn his body, but an uncomfortable knee pressed against his side brings him fully back into consciousness.

Jack looks down. _Oh._

He’s curled up in a ball, sort of half-sat on Buttons’ lap, which doesn’t make sense because Mush had been sat next to him when he’d fallen asleep. His eyebrows furrow together, and Buttons chuckles, shaking his head. Seeing Jack look confusedly between Mush and himself, Buttons says, “he moved. You’s a drooler, did’ya know that?”

Jack can feel the heat rising to his cheeks. He scowls at the others, who laugh, and Jack laughs too. He’s feeling a lot brighter after his nap.

That’s when he spots Specs and Albert grinning in the corner. Good, Jack thinks, this must be everybody.

As if he’s read Jack’s mind, Specs walks over. “I’s got Albert an’ Smalls, but Race says he’s spendin’ the night in Brooklyn. With Spot Conlon, probably.”

Jack wiggles his eyebrows suggestively, and half of the newsies groan while the others just laugh. They stop when they realise how loud they’ve gotten, and that reminds Jack why they’re all gathered here in the first place. 

“Right,” he announces, standing up on the sofa so everybody can see and hear him. The arrangement is a mirror image of the strike, except Davey was almost always right at Jack’s side during his speeches. Jack rubs his palms together. “So we’s all here because Davey’s upstairs, an’ I feel like I should explain to all you’s why that’s the case, so listen closely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayy, I hope this doesn't feel like an awkward place to stop. It was just going to be too long if I had the questions in this chapter! Never fear, the next chapter should be up within the next few days.


	5. Chapter 5

“To explain this best, what you’s gotta understand is that Davey’s brain don’t work the same way as the rest of us. Davey’s brain takes information and does different stuff with it than what ours will do. An’ that’s alright, most of the time, but sometimes it’s a problem because it doesn’t do stuff it needs to do for him to be able to go abouts his day normally. Which means sometimes, Dave has a real hard time doing the stuff we takes for granted, like talking and understanding things.”

Jack pauses. He thinks everybody’s following what he’s saying.

“So earlier today, Davey was out sellin’ papes just like the rest of us. And his brain was working just fine- it was taking everything it got, like the sounds and sights and smells, an’ it knew what to do with them. But then somethin’ went wrong, and nobody’s quite sure what, but it meant that Davey’s brain couldn’t understand the stuff it was seeing. And just like when any one of us doesn’t know what’s goin’ on, when any of us is alone somewhere we don’t recognise, Davey’s brain got scared, and started to panic. With me?”

The newsies around Jack nod their heads slowly, taking in what Jack’s said. He can tell that some of them are understanding it better than others, but nobody seems to be particularly confused. 

“An’ now Davey’s upstairs, asleep, because his brain’s been workin’ at a hundred miles an hour an’ now it’s exhausted and it needs the rest. So if any of yous is loud tonight, you’s headin’ for a soakin’. Go it?”

That, everybody understands very quickly. Jack spots Romeo in the corner, looking like he has something to say. He sighs.

“If anybody’s got any questions, now’s the time.”

Romeo does have something to say, because he stands up as soon as Jack mentions questions. The other newsies turn to him, waiting for him to speak. 

“Why does he do that thing? Like, when he won’t talk, but he just hums or makes noises instead. It weirds us out. It’s like he’s not all there.”

Jack clenches his jaw. He knows Romeo doesn’t mean any harm by the question, but the knowledge that Davey constantly gets accusations of being ‘not all there’ sits heavily on his shoulders. 

David is clever. He’s bright, knows everything there is to know about the topics that interest him. And it irks Jack to no end that David is struck off as stupid, no good, hopeless, just because he sometimes gets overwhelmed. He takes a deep breath.

“Davey needs calm. An’ for him, humming and rocking or flapping is what makes him calm. An’ we’s gotta accept that we shouldn’t try to make him stop, because he deserves calm and safety just like the rest of us. So you never call him out on it, aight? Never tell ‘im to stop. If it’s annoying you, you come to me, and I’ll have a word, but you’s not gotta talk to him about it.”

Romeo shrugs, and the other newsies look vaguely uncomfortable at the exchange. Jack knows most of them are silently agreeing with Romeo that Davey’s habits are weird. Jack just needs them to understand that they can’t try to get him to stop, because Jack had found out the hard way that trying to get Davey to stop stimming would usually result in, at the least, an increase in volume or energy, or at the most, a full blown meltdown. 

“Right. The evenin’ pape should be out pretty soon, so all you’s who wants to carry on sellin’ can do,” Jack announces, effectively bringing the conversation to a close. A few of the newsies grumble and haul themselves up to stand, setting out to carry the evening banner. Most of them stay, though, and Jack isn’t surprised; with the morning’s good headline, they should all have enough to pay for their bunk and buy some food later on. 

“If you’s stayin’, you’s gotta be quiet,” Specs suddenly pipes up from the corner of the room. “I mean it, Jack’s not just bein’ overprotective. I’s seen Davey upset and it ain’t pretty, so just be quiet tonight.”

Jack smiles at Specs across across the room, the tension in his shoulders dissipating. It’s nice to know someone else is on his side, that someone else understands. Jack turns, making his way to the stairway and climbing the steps again. Once he reaches the top, he gently pushes the door open, wincing when it creaks loudly. 

Jack crosses the room and is satisfied to see that David is still fast asleep on his bunk. Because he knows that after sleep comes recovery, and that David will be right as rain within a few hours of waking up. David will probably get his voice back as soon as he wakes up, and then he’ll become more and more alert, and then he’ll be back to normal within no time. 

The one thing Jack is worried about is food. A quick check of the pocket watch lying on Crutchie’s bed confirms it’s 4 o’clock, and Jack is fully aware that David won’t have had lunch yet, because he likes to buy tomato soup from a quiet little café every day at 2 o’clock, and he’d been with Jack at 2. Jack rakes a hand through his hair. There are very few things Davey will feel comfortable eating, and the café he likes closes at 3 every day. Which means tomato soup is ruled out of the question, because Davey will only have it from there and nowhere else. He has to think of something to feed him when he wakes up.

For now, though, all Jack wants to do is relax, let the tension of the day drain away. He climbs up to the top bunk of the bed opposite his, glad for once that Race’s bed is so near his, because he can keep an eye on Davey from here. He closes his eyes and waits for footfalls on the stairs to wake him later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to update! I'm back at school now and I'd forgotten how stressful and plain loud it can be. More chapters still to come.


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing Jack notices when he awakes is that it’s _cold_. Really cold, the type he hasn’t felt since last Winter. Race’s thin, worn blanket doesn’t seem to be doing much to shield him from the chill, but he pulls it tighter around himself anyway in a vain attempt to preserve some of his heat.

The next thing he notices is the quiet chatter that fills the room. Chatter that, of course, means people. He opens his eyes blearily to see that it’s gotten dark, real dark, since he fell asleep. Most of the boys are sat on the edge of their bunks, gossiping about their day. Some are playing cards on the broken table that lies in the middle of the room, and most of the younger ones are already tucked up and asleep under their blankets. To Jack’s alarm, his bunk is empty, and David is nowhere to be seen.

Jack swings his legs over the side of the bunk quickly, wincing at the biting cold. Nobody seems to notice he’s awake yet, too caught up in the end-of-day unwind. Jack clears his throat expectantly.

“Jack! You’s awake!” Buttons calls across the room, earning a swat on the head from a sleeping Albert next to him. The other newsies turn and look at Jack, expecting him to speak. Jack can’t believe they’re all so clueless after the commotion of the day. 

“Where’s Davey?” Jack asks simply, glancing over at his empty bunk. Davey’s blanket lies bunched up, hanging lazily over the edge. 

“Oh yeah! He’s outside. Specs said to leave the window open so he can get back in, but we’s freezin’, so can you bring ‘im in soon?” Buttons jerks his head towards the cause of the draught, a large open window behind a row of bunks. 

“Quit ya gripin’,” Jack responds instinctually, jumping off the bunk. He shivers at the sensation of cold floor on bare feet, and makes quick work of lacing up his boots. As an afterthought, he reaches under his bunk and routes around until his hand comes into contact with a soft woollen hat he’d saved up to buy last year during an especially cold spell. 

He clambers his way behind the bunks, slipping easily through the window. He looks left, squinting into the sunset. A silhouetted figure sits facing the city, torso rocking rhythmically so it bounces off the wall behind every couple of seconds. The figure turns its head and Jack is relieved to be able to confirm that it is, indeed, Davey. The other boy smiles a little, recognition lighting his eyes, before turning back and resuming the rocking. 

Jack approaches, sitting wordlessly by Davey, simply letting the other boy know he’s there. After a few moments, he hazards a go at speaking.

“Hey, Davey,” he says gently, gazing out at the city. He knows eye contact freaks Davey out.

“Hey, Jack,” Davey responds evenly, and Jack allows a real grin to spread across his face.

“How ya doin’? You not cold sat out here?” he prods, taking note of the goosebumps covering Davey’s pale arms, disappearing up his short sleeves. 

“I hadn’t noticed,” Davey shrugs, referring to the cold. “S’nice out here. Cool. It’s warm in there. And loud.”

Jack laughs, aware of just how loud a bunch of teenage boys can get, “Yeah, they’s loud alright. You feelin’ better, though?”

Davey only nods, humming a little tune to himself. Jack relaxes at the sound, knowing that this time it’s not in distress. He considers offering Davey his hat, but knows that the foreign texture would probably be too much for now. Instead, they sit peacefully together, listening to the sounds of the city. Despite his wish to escape the city and move on to bigger things, even he can’t deny that the soft orange glow cast by the sunset really does paint the city in a beautiful light. 

Suddenly, Jack’s stomach grumbles, and he jerks into the awareness that he hasn’t eaten yet, and he has no idea if Davey has either. 

“You’re hungry,” David frowns, head tilting slightly. “You should eat something. I ate something before. Specs’ apple.”

Jack’s eyebrows raise. “Oh yeah?” he asks, surprised that David had managed to deviate from his routine without any obvious major disturbance. 

“Yeah. He went to my place and got the apples that I really like- the green ones, they’re real juicy and just right,” Davey grins, nodding confidently.

“Specs is a good one, Davey, we should both say a big thanks to him later on. You went to him and he helped you out, and did a great job of it, too,” Jack tells him, remembering afternoon that feels like it was a lifetime ago. “So you ready to go inside? The boys’re freezin’ in there.”

David nods, pulling himself to his feet. He wobbles a bit, and Jack chuckles; he knows David’s gangliness doesn’t tend to help him out at the best of times. Instead of laughing along, David lets out an almighty yawn, and Jack’s attention is brought back to the fact that he’d very much left David fast asleep, and that wasn’t _that_ long ago. The blue pyjamas only further reinforce his point.

“Why’s you awake, Dave? You seem pretty tired to me,” Jack queries.

“Oh, I was asleep, but then there was lots’a noise, so I woke up. I guess they were just talking,” David mumbles, swiping at tired eyes with his bare forearms. 

“Well, we’s gonna get you into bed, how’d you like that?” Jack smiles, moving towards the window and gesturing for David to enter the lodging house first. He does, and Jack follows suit, pulling the window closed behind him with a snap. 

The two of them manouver themselves past the bunks easily, quietly getting ready to go back to bed. A few more boys have decided to call it a night, too. Those who haven’t nod their acknowledgement at Jack, not interfering with the couple. David is quickly back on the top bunk, tucked tightly under his blanket. Jack kisses his forehead goodnight, moving to step away from the bunk, but he feels a hand grip his sleeve before he can move. 

“Stay?” David asks, glancing at the side of the bed. Jack only now notices he’s left enough room for him to fit, almost definitely on purpose. His heart warms.

“I will,” Jack promises, “but there’s something I gotta do first, okay? I’ll be back, just give me a moment, aight?” Jack squeezes David’s hand comfortingly. 

“Anyone seen Specs?” he asks quietly, making his way to the other end of the lodging house, careful not to wake the sleeping youngsters. A few boys shake their heads, others choosing to take no notice at all. 

“Jack?” Elmer pipes up from under his blanket, voice thick with sleep, “…I think he’s downstairs. Probably readin’ or… something.”

Jack smiles his thanks, stepping quietly to the stairway and making his way swiftly down. 

Specs is sat on the small sofa, feet up. He holds an old, tattered book in his right hand, and appears to be concentrating carefully on the print inside.

“Specs,” Jack pipes up, walking to the middle of the room. “Hey. How ya doin’?”

Specs looks up, eyebrows raised. He clearly didn’t expect a disturbance, but he smiles tiredly when he notices it’s Jack, sitting up straighter on the sofa and swinging his legs over the side. He puts the book face down on the floor next to him, careful to keep the page. 

“I’m good. Nice ta see ya awake,” Specs jokes, gesturing with one hand for Jack to sit down next to him. Jack takes the offer, sinking into the old material.

“I wanted to say thanks. For all you’s done today. You’s a good kid, Specs, I couldn’ta done it without ya,” Jack says quietly. He gives praise to his newsies all the time, but he feels he needs to make this count even more, for all Specs has done for him and David today.

“Sure ya would, Jack, you’s amazing. I just helped out,” Specs shrugs, his cheeks colouring slightly. 

Jack’s jaw drops, amazed at how Specs can be so humble after today. “You’s kiddin’, right? You did so much today that I would never have managed to do. Thanks to you, Dave’s snuggled up, safe and warm in his favourite pyjamas, under his favourite blanket… and you’s fed him. That, in itself, is a miracle.”

“Yeah, well... s’what we do, ain’t it? You looks after us and we looks after you. It’s how we work,” Specs smiles, nudging Jack playfully. Jack only shakes his head, a bemused smile crossing his face. 

“Aight, well, I just wanted to say thanks. I’s goin’ back to sleep now- you might want to think about it sometime. Look after yourself, Specsy-boy,” Jack announces, standing and stretching. He picks Specs’ book up and hands it back to him before slipping back upstairs and across the bedroom, finally settling down next to his Davey after a long day. David stirs only slightly to pull Jack closer.  
Jack knows he’ll have to deal with teasing from the boys for days and days to come, but he’ll deal with that later. Right now, all he wants is to settle down next to someone he loves, and rest.  
It’s only a matter of time before the two of them are fast asleep, Jack drooling lightly onto the pillow next to David’s head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, turns out I'm bloody awful at updating. Like, I only ever get the inspiration to write during school holidays. Which is why I present you with the final chapter, brought to you by Winter Half-Term. Hope you enjoyed. :)


End file.
